Duel
by Sylvera
Summary: #27 in my 100 Themes one-shot challenge. Partway up the tower, an old enemy appears for the last time. The only thing left is a fight to the death. Contains Black Knight spoilers.


There was a thundering _crack, _and in moments, a gleaming barrier formed in the middle of the battlefield. It stretched across the room, cutting off the two of them from their respective allies. There was no question now. This would be their battle and theirs alone.

On the other side of the barrier, Mist cried out in surprise. She urged her horse towards it. Ike ran to her, motioning for her to stop. Still, his sister kept moving, stopping just short of the wall. "Ike!" she screamed.

"Forget it, Mist," he replied, sharply. "There's nothing you can do this time. Go back and aid the others."

"But if you're injured – "

"I have supplies. Besides, I don't intend to die here."

The girl gave him a pained look, and nodded. "Understood," she murmured.

Ike didn't stick around to watch her leave. He turned around, and faced his opponent. "You had a prime opportunity to make the first move," he remarked.

The black-armored figure stood before him, as imposing as ever. "There's nothing to be gained from attacking your opponent when his back is turned," Zelgius reminded him. My intention is for a duel, not a quick kill. Anything less would be a waste of your talent – and mine as well."

Ike responded by drawing Ragnell and pointing it towards his opponent. "That's what I thought you'd say," he replied, his voice eerily calm. "If a duel is what you want, I'd be more than willing to oblige. You'd better not let me down."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Zelgius unsheathed Alondite, and readied himself to strike. "We begin now."

The first move was Ike's. He ran forward, and swung his blade in a wide arc. A crescent of light appeared, flying beyond the weapon's reach. His opponent did the same, responding with a vertical strike that cut through his opponent's attack and left him unharmed. Ike stepped to the side, and quickly launched himself into a run, readying himself for whatever counter-attack would be waiting for him.

Zelgius responded just as quickly. He waited until the younger man was close enough, and moved into a stab. Ike was able to react, but he didn't have time to avoid the attack completely. The blade grazed his side – the first attack to hit its target. It was a shallow cut, but it was enough to make things difficult for Ike. Instinctively, he reached for the vulnerary in his pocket, but stopped short of pulling it out. It was painful, yes, but he could manage for now. He had to save his supplies for more serious injuries, or else he'd run out.

His foe didn't intend to sit and wait for him to heal. Ike blocked a heavy strike, and for a moment the two swordsmen stood facing one another with weapons locked. Zelgius broke out of it a few seconds later. Ike ducked, jumped backwards, and sent another swath of light flying towards Zelgius.

This time, it was a direct hit. The knight's heavy armor took the brunt of the hit, but a thin slice was visible on its surface. The impact left him reeling for a split second, and this did not escape Ike's notice. He ran forward, and cut into the break in the armor.

He managed to get through, but Zelgius countered a split second later. Alondite bit into Ike's upper arm. A pained shout escaped from him. This wound was deeper than the last, and although it wasn't the arm he was using, it was still more than worthy of concern. He saw a trickle of blood escape the break in Zelgius's armor, making it clear that his attack had reached flesh. Ike didn't stop to look at his own wounds. He didn't have to – he knew that they'd look worse.

As he continued to block and dodge attacks, he noticed the pain in his side getting worse. He wasn't sure how long he could keep going if his constant movement kept straining the area. Immediately, he started thinking about how to gain enough distance to heal. He could run if he needed to. After all, he had a major advantage in terms of mobility. But he couldn't afford to take his eyes off the enemy. Still, he had to do something. He couldn't afford to lose much more blood. That, and no amount of experience changed how hard it was to concentrate when something _hurt _that much.

Zelgius struck at him again, and he barely had time to guard. He pushed back and retaliated with a quick stab. He'd been aiming for a spot where two metal plates intersected, but he'd missed it by a few inches. He stepped back a little, bracing himself for further assault.

At that moment, he felt a familiar power begin to flow through his body. It was followed by a rush of excitement. _Aether. _This was exactly what he needed. He moved a little further back, and seized control of the power. As he approached his foe, its energy began to stream into his hand, surrounding Ragnell with its aura. He tossed the blade into the air, and leapt after it. He took hold of it in midair, and struck downwards, letting gravity strengthen his attack on the way.

The damage he'd caused was clear. The attack had broken pieces of the black armor, and damaged others. One massive shoulder plate was nearly cracked in half. As Ike moved back into position, a trail of light followed him. The energy circled around the injuries he'd taken, repairing the damage within seconds. It probably wasn't a perfect recovery, but it was enough. For now, he'd survive.

The sounds of battle were audible from the other side of the wall. He didn't have time to observe how his teammates were fairing, but he figured the earsplitting roar of a dragon was probably a good sign. He made a silent promise to aid them as soon as he could. With that, he charged back into his own confrontation.

* * *

I'm not great at writing action scenes, so I was a bit worried that I wouldn't do this battle justice. Thankfully, I think it turned out OK.


End file.
